1. Field of the Invention
The device of this invention relates to therapeutic baths and massage treatment for individuals and more particularly relates to a device with a containment chamber in which an individual or body part is positioned and around which a plurality of body movement and/or therapy means are arrayed with selected therapy modes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baths especially designed for treatment of ailments are well known with whirlpool baths being a prime example of such prior art. Other types of therapeutic baths such as bubbling baths, heated baths, and mineral baths are also known in the prior art. It has long been known that people with skin diseases, bums, or muscular ailments will benefit from various therapeutic bathing techniques. For example, whirlpool baths apply pressure to muscles of the body by the various movements of the water. Also massage techniques have been found useful for applying pressure in various ways to muscles of the body. Various techniques in massage therapy, such as effleurage, incorporate light or heavy stroking of the muscle. Petrissage involves a kneading or squeezing action of the muscle. Tapotement incorporates the use of the sides of the hands to strike the body. The pounding impact and various squeezing actions of massage aid in many therapies such as the removal of fluids from muscle tissue and the alleviation of lactic acid buildup.
Brotz, the inventor herein, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,479 discloses a therapeutic vibratory bath having a plurality of vibrators disposed on multiple levels. The vibrators are designed to move the bath fluid to provide therapeutic treatment such as for burns, hypertension, circulatory disturbances, etc. There are difficulties, though, in providing localized vibration patterns sufficient to overcome the tendency of fluid pressure to equalize inside a vessel according to Pascal""s law.
It is an object of this invention to provide a therapeutic stimulatory massage device which in one embodiment includes a therapeutic bath for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions such as, but not limited to, burns, hypertension, circulatory disturbances, rheumatic and arthritic conditions, various metabolic diseases, nervous conditions, and fluid buildup in muscles by incorporating various stimulatory methods, mediums and patterns.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a therapeutic massage device which is utilizable by individuals, even by those suffering from debilitating or degenerative muscular disease and which can provide passive muscle exercise and muscle massage to the user.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a therapeutic bath having improved stimulating means by use of a plurality of fluid movement means such as piston-cylinders on multilevel parallel arrays. Such fluid movement devices can operate by use of solenoids powered by electricity, electromagnetic power, pneumatic power, hydraulic power, piezoelectric actuators or equivalents.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide an improved medium for a therapeutic bath that employs an electrorheologic fluid, magnetorheologic fluid, or dilatant to take advantage of the thixotropic effect of certain fluids to stiffen in consistency under various conditions to improve the effectiveness of the bath.
In one embodiment the basic structure of the bath of this invention allows for a patient or body part to be placed in a fluid medium wherein a pressure wave pattern is set up within the medium around the patient, such pattern selected from a variety of wave patterns, as will be described below, which movement of the medium against the patient helps to treat the specific ailment of the patient.
The basic structure of one embodiment of this invention provides for an inner containment chamber, the wall of which can be formed of resilient material such as rubber. The containment chamber can be formed with an area defined therein for the holding of a fluid medium and also to receive the individual or body part being treated in the bath. The containment chamber can be generally cylindrical in shape, but other shapes will fall within the scope of this invention. The containment chamber can not only be disposed vertically, but also disposed horizontally in some embodiments, if desired. Around the containment chamber, in one embodiment, can be disposed a plurality of piston-cylinder stimulating devices also referred to as stimulators attached in multilevel parallel arrays, each array positioned at a different height or position within the containment chamber and each piston-cylinder designed to operate at a selected frequency and in a selected sequence with one another to provide pressure to the fluid medium in the chamber tailored to the specific needs of the patient. For example, a pressure wave pattern can be structured in a spiraling downward pattern depending upon the sequencing of the stimulators or, for example, a pattern can be produced where all of the stimulators at a particular vertical level operate in unison to create a harmonic pressure wave between the levels of the stimulators. In another example, stimulators located at two diametrically opposing positions around the containment chamber can operate in unison and the stimulator operation could be in a rotational sequence around the major axis of the cylindrical containment chamber to create a spiraling pattern of the fluid medium around the body. There also could be a completely random sequence of operation of the stimulators. In the horizontal or vertical containment chamber embodiment, which is described further below, the pulsation could be peristaltic in nature, for example. The pattern of stimulator operation will be determined by the desired result to be achieved. Some desired results can call for a wave pattern which runs from an upper part of the patient""s body to a lower part while other patterns can be utilized for muscular toning wherein one might want patterns to push against a patient""s muscles at particular levels within the containment chamber.
The containment chamber wall can, in one embodiment, be made of a rubber-like material that is resilient, but the material of the chamber wall""s construction depends upon the amount of movement required and level and frequency of stimulations desired to be employed in the device.
The fluid medium that is placed in the containment chamber can vary in different embodiments of this invention. The device of this invention incorporates the thixotropic effect, which causes the fluid medium to increase in viscosity and stiffen and become resistant to movement when subjected to a pressure wave pattern generated by the piston-cylinders. Such a fluid medium can consist of an electrorheologic fluid, magnetorheologic fluid, or dilatant, depending on the type of stimulation being employed in the particular embodiment, whether it be mechanical or produced by an electric current or magnetic means.
In some cases, it is desirable to protect a patient""s skin from the fluid medium or shield it from electrical current or a magnetic field. In such cases, the limb ordinarily directly exposed to the fluid medium within the containment chamber can be covered with a glove or covering. If desired, electrodes can be extended through the glove or covering and placed in direct contact with the skin, providing electrical muscle stimulation. A sealer can be used to prevent leakage of the fluid medium into the body portion receiving area of the containment chamber protected by the glove or covering. In some instances, though, such magnetic shielding would not be utilized such as for magnetotherapy treatments.